Mad Men” in the Digital Age: New-Tech Tools for Marketing Agencies”
Management Insight
Marketing and ad agencies know what works for talking to “the masses,” because that’s at the core of their business services. But the best among them also know how to talk to individuals who are networking with them to get help with an ad campaign or similar project. That’s why some of the most successful and modern marketing shops use tools like VoIP multi-line phone systems or Private Branch Exchange (PBX) models equipped with great high-tech features like interactive or pop-up Customer Relationship Management or CRM modules. These IT extras help staffers at all levels to reach out to clients, drive more centrally communicated campaigns, and boost profits.
“Mad Men” in 2013
For a closer look at how CRM and related tools can be a game-changer for today’s ad industry, think about how Don Draper and his merry band worked way back in the now-glamorized marketing industry of the 1960s. Amid all of the intra-office turmoil, watchers get a perennial look at the big question that Draper, Campbell, and even the leathery Sterling all ask, in more elegant phrasing, of clients: “what do you want?” Just a cursory look at nearly any of the on-screen business meetings involving big fish like Heinz or Jaguar show just how focused these marketers are on getting to know more about their clients, and eventually converting that knowledge into “the sell,” not just by closing in on the agreed marketing solution, but by having that previous knowledge about what went on in the past.
New-tech CRM and marketing phoneware does this for today’s shops. It collects, in a neat digital format, all of those questions and answers, along with key contacts, demographics, and budgeting details, and puts it all in front of the company rep, to put that individual in the driver’s seat when it comes to brainstorming or negotiating with a client. A lot of this back and forth goes on over the phone, so adding these sorts of features to an in-house phone system makes a lot of sense; in fact, some see it as a “must-have” for really connecting with a range of clients over time, where it may take over a dozen “touches” to close a deal.
The actual mechanics of ordering and implementing one of these systems change a lot according to the particular setup of a firm, which is why it’s important to have vendors who “walk with” businesses to help them to achieve what they need out of a data-and-voice business or customer intelligence system. Ringio’s CRM-enabled PBX solutions can help today’s agencies armor up for a battle that, in some ways, is much more cutting-edge than the old days, where Jon Hamm and others were most often shown closing deals in the conference room, or in the corners of smoky bars. Today’s arena is largely a digital one, and by taking advantage of reasonably priced software services, even a small firm can get noticed and churn up more business over the phone.
Justin Stoltzfus is a freelance writer covering technology and business solutions at Techopedia and Business Finance Store, as well as Ringio’s blog, focusing on emerging trends in IT services.
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